7 10 9760 https://caspercollege.cvlcollections.org/files/original/55b18222b89bf3d3d13f450375ab862f.pdf a448c27fd130e4376e3a2d50ea72a1a9 PDF Text Text 1 “The Contextualized Life: Triangulating the Chuck Morrison Papers" project directly supports several core Casper College ISLOs, primarily focusing on advanced research, critical thinking, and formal communication. Here is a breakdown of how the project components align with essential lifelong learning skills and common ISLO categories: Alignment with ISLOs (History Major Focus) ISLO Category How the Assignment Meets the Outcome Relevant Project Part The student must formulate an original historical argument (thesis) by synthesizing complex, often Critical Thinking & Part 1 (Thesis), conflicting, primary sources. They must analyze the Problem Solving Part 2 (Analysis) context behind the records (e.g., political motives, social anxieties) rather than just describing them. Information Literacy & Research This is the core skill. The student must navigate nonPart 1 digital primary source collections, use finding aids, (Mapping), Part select sources based on relevance and quality, and 2 (Source adhere to rigorous academic citation standards Selection) (archival and secondary). Effective Communication (Written) The requirement for a 3-5-page formal, scholarly essay demands mastery of advanced academic writing. Students must structure a lengthy, evidence- Part 3 (Final based argument logically, persuasively, and with Essay) impeccable clarity, adhering to required style guides (e.g., Chicago). By focusing on a local figure (Morrison) who Part 2 Historical & Global operated on a state level (Wyoming State (Contextual Awareness Representative), the student gains insight into how Analysis) national and global events (like the mid-20th century Casper College Goodstein Foundation Library Western History Center 125 College Drive, Casper, WY 82601 �2 ISLO Category How the Assignment Meets the Outcome Relevant Project Part economic shifts or WWII) manifested at the local level. On Secondary Sources Supporting Use of the Primary The Charles "Chuck" Morrison Photographs and Papers are rich in content, spanning political, journalistic, military, and local history from roughly the 1920s through the mid1900s. To properly analyze and contextualize these primary sources, a student requires secondary sources that provide background information across these themes. Here is a breakdown of the types of secondary sources that would support the collection's use and understanding: References Charles "Chuck" Morrison Photographs and Papers, NCA 01.v.1998.01 WyCaC US. Casper College Archives and Special Collections (Western History Center). Google. (2025). Gemini (2.5 Pro) [Large Language Model]. https://gemini.google.com/app/30ca229f60e659e3?utm_source=app_launcher&ut m_medium=owned&utm_campaign=base_all Casper College Goodstein Foundation Library Western History Center 125 College Drive, Casper, WY 82601 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource “The Contextualized Life: Triangulating the Chuck Morrison Photographs and Papers" Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="https://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC-EDU/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC-EDU/1.0/</a> Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 2025-11-09 Description An account of the resource “The Contextualized Life: Triangulating the Chuck Morrison Photographs and Papers" project directly supports several core Casper College ISLOs, primarily focusing on advanced research, critical thinking, and formal communication through the use of primary and secondary sources. Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Language A language of the resource ENG https://caspercollege.cvlcollections.org/files/original/bb3a09f4d837a319c0444ccb0f445068.jpg 78f06e4063c18144c7f0a8cadf341847 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource [Untitled] https://caspercollege.cvlcollections.org/files/original/51a8ce763e39fe2ddc3dc7dd18e746df.jpg 7f3029b3f59ff996b0904d443639ca12 https://caspercollege.cvlcollections.org/files/original/138578986552a112715f74853296969c.jpg c5ee59aca3af481a649e9fcdf9e9464e Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Chuck Morrison's Historic Casper and other Photographs Series Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="https://rightsstatements.org/vocab/CNE/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/CNE/1.0/</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource J. Enos Wait; Pennsylvania Oil and Gas Company; Fred A. Villnave; Ralph R. Doubleday; Tom Carrigen; Charles "Chuck" Morrison Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. Charles "Chuck" Morrison Photographs and Papers, NCA 01.v.1998.01 WyCaC US. Casper College Archives and Special Collections. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context NCA 01.v.1998.03 Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 1892-1950 Subject The topic of the resource Casper (Wyo.) -- History -- Pictorial works.; Casper (inhabited place) Description An account of the resource Photographs of historic Casper, Wyoming that were collected by or otherwise reproduced and used by Chuck Morrison. The historic photographs appear to date from approximately 1892 to 1913. Morrison's own photographs of Casper and beyond date from approximately 1950 to 1972 after he served in WWII. His active use of these photographs is thought to have been after he returned from WWII. This series of photographs contains photographs Morrison took himself it is thought towards the end. The photographs have been added to this digital collection in roughly chronological order. Relation A related resource <a href="https://caspercollegearchives.libraryhost.com/repositories/2/resources/5">Frances Seely Webb Papers and Photographs</a>; <a href="https://caspercollegearchives.libraryhost.com/repositories/2/resources/207">Bruce H. Thompson and Connie F. Bryant Collection</a>; <a href="https://caspercollegearchives.libraryhost.com/repositories/2/resources/396">Casper Star-Tribune Records</a>; <a href="https://caspercollegearchives.libraryhost.com/repositories/2/resources/94">Angus Morrison Skii Records and Family Photographs</a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource JPG Has Format A related resource that is substantially the same as the pre-existing described resource, but in another format. TIFF Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Still Image Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource #29 Oil Booms: Workers in First Refinery Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="https://rightsstatements.org/vocab/CNE/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/CNE/1.0/</a> Date Created Date of creation of the resource. ca. 1895-1899 Subject The topic of the resource Casper (Wyo.) -- History -- Pictorial works.; Casper (inhabited place) Description An account of the resource Photograph of Dr. Fred Salathe, Charlie?, John Duncan, L.W. Bailey, and Oscar Heistand who worked for the Pennsylvania Oil and Gas Company Refinery in Casper, Wyoming. The refinery was built by chemist and refiner, F.J. Carman in 1895 (Mokler, 1923). This photograph is a part of the Chuck Morrison Photographs and Papers and is organized within a series of historic photographs Morrison collected or made reproductions of. Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. Historic Casper Series. Charles "Chuck" Morrison Photographs and Papers, NCA 01.v.1998.01 WyCaC US. Casper College Archives and Special Collections (Western History Center). Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context NCA 01.v.1998.01_RefineryWorkers_a; NCA 01.v.1998.01_RefineryWorkers_b Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource JPG Provenance A statement of any changes in ownership and custody of the resource since its creation that are significant for its authenticity, integrity, and interpretation. The statement may include a description of any changes successive custodians made to the resource. Elizabeth McDonald Collection Has Format A related resource that is substantially the same as the pre-existing described resource, but in another format. TIFF Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Pennsylvania Oil and Gas Company https://caspercollege.cvlcollections.org/files/original/ced73c9cf759c2cf31ce79796e637bae.jpeg 1e10ca2bd70c9a65f5ede9ac6e4d96a0 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Casper College Public Relations Thunderbird Rodeo Photographs Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Casper College Public Relations Department Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. Casper College Public Relations Department Photographs and Records, CCA 05.xiv.2023.01 WyCaC US. Casper College Archives and Special Collections. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CCA 05.xiv.2023.01_Rodeo Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Photographic Print Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource <a href="Casper College Public Relations Thunderbird Rodeo Photographs">Casper College Public Relations Thunderbird Rodeo Photographs</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Casper College Public Relations Department Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. Casper College Public Relations Department Photographs and Records, CCA 05.xiv.2023.01 WyCaC US. Casper College Archives and Special Collections. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CCA 05.xiv.2023.01_AgriculturePhotos_05_05 Description An account of the resource Cole Fritzlau High Point Cowboy https://caspercollege.cvlcollections.org/files/original/191383177ab330a2342954e2f10ef2db.pdf 826ca70c34377a52738ec894ea7073ca PDF Text Text Part III IDAHO �N. Weis > “ ^he high country of Idaho is endowed with nature’s fulj/^t measure. Tall mountains, big trees, rushing waters^ and /^ep blue skies are combined in beautiful proportion, beauty is seldom found without a touch of adversity. Of adversities, logging trucks and narrow roads are two of Idaho’s most challenging. hazards are invariably encountered together. -1- The two Although Leesburg, Idaho �N, Weis roads are of noted solidarity* they appear to be thoroughly flexible when viewed through this observer’s phobia. The road shrinks to fractional width whenever a logging truck approaches. The narrow portion of the road seemingly travels ahead of the vehicle, accompanied by a shock wave of fear and despair. Even the boldest seek shelter, or lacking that will huddle precariously at road's edge. I had been in Idaho for less than an hour when a logging truck put me in the ditch. It was on the well-traveled Salmon River Road, north of Salmon The logger insisted on the and west of North Pork. middle of the road. That gave me an option on the ditch, which I quickly assumed. Later I learned that a logger had dropped his rig into the river a few days earlier. The driver had been over-courteous, and his right wheels, too close to the edge, broke down the fill at the river's edge. The truck flipped and rolled into the white waters of the Salmon River. Other drivers quite naturally decided thereafter to use the center half of the road. One of the foresters at the Indianola Ranger Station indicated that I was not the only victim. A number of tourists had reported similar encounters. ^2- Leesburg, Idaho �N. Weis The ranger advised, "Just pull over, close your eyes, and think thin." He also advised that the back road into Leesburg was presently used by loggers. I decided to take a longer but more relaxing route, Leesburg* is reached most pleasantly by going south of the town of Salmon for about five miles on U.S. Highway 93, then turning west on the Williams Creek Road. Fourteen miles up this steep, all-weather road is Williams Greek Summit. Beyond the ^ummlt, the road parallels Moccasin Creek, reaching downstream eight miles to its junction with Napias Creek, A right turn here leads you seven hard miles up Napias I Creek to Leesburg, The road is narrow and rocky, changing to a badly rutted dirt surface for the last few miles. 'Just past the crossing of Gamp Creek, the road angles to the right and enters a large grassy The main street meadow. ^Mainsj^eet — two ruts with grass between — stretches eastward std across the flat, flanked on the north by perhaps a dozen log structures. Fewery but more impressive buildings line the south side of the road. Ahead, the aspens close the road to a narrow path, and dark green pines stretch up the the slope, topping out at^skyline. A Leesburg, Idaho Idaho, for map Information, �The first building on the north side is a small, low^double-walled log cabin, probably used as a cooler or powder house. Toward the middle of town is a long, extensively sway^^backed log store, its low^wide walls bulging and bending as the collapsing roof spends its weight. Nearby a ridgepole slants nakedly, the few remaining roof boards clinging momentarily. Across the street, a low-ceilinged two-story log store stands roofless and in near ruin, its gable end leaning^ as if nodding in sleep. Two of the cabins along the overgrown street are occupied. Although often told, the story of Leesburg can withstand yet another try, especially in the light of some "new” Information uncovered at the Lemhi Museum in Salmon, Prospectors in northern Montana had heard the rumor of a stream of gold high up in the southwest hills. Five miners, following directions given them by friendly Indians, worked their way up the Nez Perce Indian Trail, over the ^ivide, across several drainages, to the high slopes overlooking the present Site of Leesburg. The sediments of the many tributary streams were panned, and on August 12, 1866, gold-rich gravels were found. The five miners named the stream "Napias," after the Indian word for Jgold.'^ -4- Leesburg, Idaho �N. Weis Word, leaked out, and by summer’s end three thousand miners had filed as many claims along seven miles of stream, A town sprang up, named for General Robert E. Lee, populated mainly by southerners. Not to be outdone, the northerners established Grantsville about a half mile up'Hstream on Naplas Creek, -.,—1 Grantsville has been erroneously located one mile west of Leesburg, placing it high on a timbered hillside, an unlikely home for gold-hungry placer miners. The two towns soon grew into one, and the entire town went by the name favored by the majority. In I870 there were more than one hundred businesses located on the main street of Leesburg, floors^-|| Most of the stores had dirt few of the finer establishments sported cowhide carpets. By 187^ the town was nearly deserted and the Chinese moved in to scour the sands for riches overP* looked. Five years later, the Chinese were massacred. The total number killed is not known, but one survived to report the tragic event. The Indians were blamed, but later evidence indicated it may have been the work of an outlaw gang. The gold was gone by 19^0, Even the last— C ditch hydraulijkers had given up. Sixteen million -5- Leesburg, Idaho �N. Weis dollars^ worth of gold had been panned and sluiced from the gravel bars of Naplas Creek. The population soon dropped to less than one hundred. In 19^^ It fell to two, then dropped from two to zero. In 1969 (Leesburg’s centennial year) two young bearded men chose to reoccupy the long-«deserted town. Squatter’s rights seem adequate, and their quasl-legal status bothers them little. They look and act as If they belong In Leesburg, and their presence Is a beneficial deter^nt to the eroslonary effects of eager souvenir hunters. -6- Leesburg, Idaho �N. Weis COBALT ( BLACKBIRD), IDAHO "Do not fall to visit Cobalt. old, but it sure is dead." It isn’t very- The same advice came from a number of people in Salmon. Notable among them was the curator of the town’s historical museum. Good maps are quite indispenslble here. The Forest Service roads are poorly and confusingly marked. The Leesburg and Blackbird Mountain, Idaho, 15 minute topographic maps are excellent help; however, the Salmon National Forest Map (free) would be an adequate although less detailed navigational aid. From the Leesburg turnoff,* at the junction of Moccasin and Naples jfreeks, a good gravel road continues downstream about three miles to the point where Panther Creek enters from the south. The left*hand road reaches up the west bank of Panther Greek three miles to a narrow flat, totally occupied by the newly deserted town of Cobalt. Cobalt, once called Blackbird, is in mint condition. Nothing has been moved and there have been no disastrous fires. More than one hundred buildings line the streets, standing white and clean. Except for padlocks and shutters, the town appears alive and healthy. Cobalt has been deserted since 1959, when the mine closed. “7“ V *See Leesburg, Idaho, Once there were 450 Cobalt, Idaho �N. Weis company employees and a population 2,000. 120 of more than •Wa—th^uBand, The school had ono-hundred I, twenty pupils, fe^»^teachers and 8 grades. A long three-story recreation hall stands Idly vacant, ready once again to provide entertainment. Next to the hall a long low general store sits empty. Its display window boarded over| and Its round metal IGA sign shot full of holes, none even close to dead center. Most of the buildings are covered with white asbestos shingles^ and trimmed with green-painted woodwork. The streets are still In fine shape. Occasional manhole covers Indicate a drainage system. How Incongruous — a ghost town with manhole coverst No doubt some would argue that a town must be old to be a ghost, but the cold fact Is, the town need only be dead. From that moment on, time serves only to age the remains^ and enhance the memory. The Blackbird Lode, with Its rich deposits of gold, was responsible for the birth and subsequent death of Cobalt, Located two miles up Panther Creek, then another four miles to the right up Blackbird Greek, the buildings at the mine fill the creek’s narrow canyon. The town of Blackbird was once located here. Some of the old log cabins still squat Cobalt, Idaho �N. Weis beside the stream. One in particular sports a set of over-long ridgepoles, as If a deluxe porch had been planned but never realized. g:00 It was aAght a.m. when I drove up the canyon to look over the old site. It was foggy, and I nearly drove through the locked gate blocking the road below the mine. A doorbell-type button offered a chance at access. Shortly, a young mining engineer responded to the signal, and Invited me in for a quick tour. He explained that the mine was Indeed inactive, but that a crew was drilling test holes, attempting to locate new leads. We talked for a while about the lost veins and new strikes made at the Blackbird. Gold was found here in 1893. In pursuit of the yellow vein, nickel and copper were found. In 1901 cobalt was found in quantity, but no market existed for the metal. Prom 1913 to 1921, thirty-five thousand dollar^ worth of gold, nickel^and copper was mined. Ore was hauled to Utah for smelting. The boom arrived in 1939, with a government contract for cobalt. The new town of Cobalt was built, and tons of cobalt ore were yanked out and sold at a guaranteed price of $2.30 per pound. million pounds had been mined. By 1959, fourteen The j^ovemment contract expired that year, thejmine closed, and Cobalt lost its uy. Cobalt, Idaho �N, Weis reason for existence. The town was quickly deserted. Later the mine was sold for its junk metal, but the new owner found some copper left and brought it to the surface in *63 and ’67, The mine was then resold to the Idaho Copper Mining Company, It is their engineers that are re-evaluating the residual deposits Metals worth in excess of fifty million dollars have been taken from the tunnels of the Blackbird, For one short moment in its history, it was the world’s leader in gold production, and gold was only a sideline to the production of cobalt. Should investigation reveal new deposits, the mine and town will arise again to full life, probably rechristened for whatever metal is found, "Nickel" has a nioe ring to it — but "gold" sounds a shade richer. 1»- Cobalt, Idaho �N. Weis YELLOW JACKET, IDAHO It was raining and the light was rapidly- fading. doubtful. The route to Yellow Jacket was long and A roadside cafe looked Inviting. Perhaps someone there would have information about the roads and the extent of the remains left at Yellow^^ket. "Yes. there's an old town there — and an old mine. They called It the YJ Mine." The waitress had heard others speak of the place and was happy to pass on the information. "Someone^the other day^sald the hotel burned down." This news, the rain, and the prospect of twenty-five miles of soupy roads was reason enough to consider a change in plans. Had it not been for the chance appearance of a passing fisherman, I would have passed up one of the finest and least known ghost towns In Idaho. As the gentleman entered the cafe, the waitress called to him, "Say — didn’t that hotel at Yellow Jacket burn down last year? "No, that's Just rumor — I was down there last week, and it's still there — all five stories Five?" my voice was unnaturally loud "Well," he answered "it's three stories In son of a gun, front and five behind. It's a long 8en:/of-a«-gun, but A they never quite finished it Guess it was never used -1h Yellow Jacket, Idaho �N. Weis There’s a crew in there now — assessing the old mine." An hour later I had gathered all the Informa­ tion available from the helpful fisherman, and even received permission from the cafe owner to camp overnight at a nearby deserted trailer park. By morning the skies cleared. The gravelly soil had absorbed much of the rain, and a brisk wind was quickly evaporating the remainder. In good shape. The roads were Upstream along Panther Creek, seven miles from the cafe at the Blackbird Road Junc^on, a narrow road branches to the right. Traveling generally west. It climbs along South Pork Creek, switchbacks over the south slope of Quartzite Mountain, repeats Its contortions on the down side, joins Shovel Creek and parallels its path downstream. Fifteen miles on this road - about an hour - brings you to the Yellow Jacket Hanger Station. Three miles father, and over sixty miles from the nearest city. Is the old town of Yellow Jacket. A giant sixty-stamp mill is first in view. ' Water, conducted downhill through a twenty-four**-inch— diameter conduit, with a one-hundred^fifty-foot head, provided plenty of power to lift the sixty stamps, each in turn. Inside the mill Is a complete smithy. -/A- Yellow Jacket, Idaho �N. Weis Nearby are a number of supply sheds, and beyond these are a few old residences, and there the grassy knoll — is the hotelI on It Is indeed three stories high, its upper floor made livable by eighteen dormers. In back — the land slopes down — the imposing wooden structure was just as described, five stories high I I stopped by an old cabin that seemed lately refurbished^! to ask permission to snoop about. One of the mining engineers, recently new to the site, volunteered some information. Placer gold was found in Yellow Jacket Creek by Long Wilson in’ 1^69, but good-sized nuggets. in to stake claims. Not just fine color, Many Leesburg miners moved Later that year, Nathan Smith found the mother lode far up the hill north of camp. It was free gold in quartz, requiring only pulverizing and panning. In 1893, materials for the thirty^stamp mill were packed in by mule train. stamps were added. Later, thirty more The mill is now in disrepair, but structurally sound and capable of reactivation. During boom years, I89O to I900, the popula­ tion of Yellow Jacket approached two hundred. After 1900, mining dropped off, becoming sporadic in the twenties. In 1932 mining resumed and the prospects �looked so good that construction on the hotel was commenced. Soon prospects faltered as the veins began In desperation, the early tailings / were remllled. Mining operatlon^Jrlumped further In to pinch out. the late thirties, and ceased entirely In 1942. About one million dollars In gold had been realized from the mine. Now Its tunnels and drifts are being core drilled In search of suspected deposits of silver, lead^and copper. Several miners and their families have found temporary quarters In two of the old cabins next to the hotel. Two of the miners’ kids volunteered to con­ duct a tour of the town. seven and eleven. They told me their ages were That sounded like a good dice score so I asked If they felt lucky. Their blank stares Indicated that I was totally misunderstood. First on the agenda was a visit with the pet rabbits. The older boy explained, "^hat speckled one Is named Mr. Bunny." The younger one added, "^nd the white one Is named Whitey," The third bunny was black, so I speculated aloud that his name was Blacky. "No," replied the younger one, "we call him Hoppy because of the way he jumps,"Hl allowed that the names were Yellow Jacket, Idaho �N. Weis fitting, and congratulated the two on their originality. Communications firmly established, we proceeded with the tour. Shortly west of the hotel is a badly dilapi­ dated log and clapboard building. Its function would still be a mystery, except for the metal Pelton wheel mounted on heavy timbers at the downhill end of the Water under great pressure was forced structure. against the metal cups of the Pelton wheel, giving it tremendous rotational speed. The power developed was geared down and fed to a small stamp mill. A five-»stamp mill ,once operated in Yellow Jacket, and this little shack must have housed the works. Circling back up the hill, the boys pointed out dozens of cabins scattered along the creek and strung out along the road that heads southwest out of town. Many have been used for hunting shacks. Some are too far gone for safe operation. A number of board shacks hidden deep in the shade offered a study in diverse methods of collapse. The boys dubbed them "squashes," "leans," and "bulgers." Everywhere there were wild snowshoe rabbits. The youngsters pelted away at them with whatever rocks were handy. I mentioned the fact that their pets were Yellow Jacket, Idaho �N. Weis close relatives. Their explanation was wholly rational — "We ain’t never hit one yet,” The circle completed, we entered the hotel for a detailed inspect^^n. The basement, or first floor, was about one/thirdjas long as the hotel, and contained the heating plant, showers, and rudimentary sanitary facilities. The next floor was about two-thirds the length of the hotel and was fitted out as a recrea­ tion hall. One old pool table is still there, barren of cloth, its gray slate surface still unbroken. kitchens are at the back. The One huge wood stove has two ovens, two warmers, and room for sixteen pans or twelve The boys claimed there were seventy-five big pots. rooms, with twenty-six more on the top floor that were unfinished. A window count indicated that the estimate was only slightly exaggerated. At the front of the hotel, a wooden ladder served as fire excape. The rear portion once had a longer ladder with protective hoops. For those lodgers in the center portion, there were knotted ropes tied to bedsteads. In a hurry, you could grab the top knot and leap out the window, then slide down from knot to knot. Care had to be taken not to grab the wrong end of the rope. In such an event, the unfortunate Yellow Jacket, Idaho �N, Weis victim would reach the ground and the end of the rope at the same horrible moment. The builder of the hotel must have had a similar moment of truth when he realized that the mine was petering out Just as he was finishing the top floor. Known to few, and visited by even fewer, the town of Yellow Jacket remains remote and unchanged. Little has been written about the site. Much of Its charm Is from facts unknown and questions unanswered. Yellow Jacket, Idaho �N. Weis • * Named in 1864 for two bay horses, the proud possessions of an itinerant miner, this tiny gold placer camp was destined to become famous for its hard-rock silver deposits. The streams in the area may have been named by the same unimaginative folk tJaix christened the camp — Mud Spring, John Gulch, Birch Creek, Wood Creek, and^of course. Bayhorse Creek, All drain east­ ward three miles to the Salmon River. Recently the -1- Bayhorse, Idaho �N. Weis Salmon has been given a second more romantic name. Called the "River of No Returnp' in song and movie, the new designation was quickly adopted by Idahoans. Claims were staked on the hillsides above the site of Bayhorse during the early 187O’s. Beginning in 1877 tunnels were dug at the Riverview, Bayhorse, Pacific, Ramshom, Skylark^and Keystone claims. The Ramshorn was the prime producer. Mills and smelters were built, and silver poured forth at a rate of nearly five hundred thousand dollars per year. By I898 ten million dollars in silver and lead had been mined, milled^and poured into Ingots, Another two and a half million dollars was realized when the mines were reactivated in the 1920*s. Bayhorse is located eleven miles south of Challis on U.^, Highway 93, and three and a half miles west on a good gravel road. inoperative. The mines are currently No current reassessments are being made, but the presence of a caretaker and the heavy metal doors on the company buildings attest to the possibility of future activity. The caretaker lives in what used to be the butcher shop. The next building to the west overhead. is the old saloon, with rooms East of the care­ taker’s home is the old rock commissary. Originally a company store, this building was put to many uses. -2- Bayhorse, Idaho �N, Weis serving as post office, newspaper office, and^lastly, a powder house. It was constructed in a craftsmanlike manner of hard green rook. Generally considered rare, the green rock was apparently common in Bayhorse, for most of the company buildings are of like color and construction. Farther east and across the road is a ramshackle shed totally occupied by a vintage Chevrolet. Although all of its tires are flat, the owner -has taken the precaution of preventing theft by wrapping numerous turns of clothesline wire about the car’s body, entrapping the hood, doors^and trunk lid. A large number of slide-rock dugouts are imbedded in the hillside. Some dugouts, built on level land, are head high and well covered with ^oil. Only the sloping entrances reveal their location/1 The caretaker wasn’t too happy to discuss the history of Bayhorse. It was Saturday, and many week'^end vacationers were on their way to the Bayhorse Lakes^located five miles west of town. A number of visitors had already interupted the old-timer’s A breakfast. He answered my knock, stood guardedly in the doorway, and reluctantly answered my questions. Behind me two station wagons pulled to a dusty halt. Bayho rs e, Idaho �N. Weis Doors flew open and Bayhorse was flooded with dogs, parents, and little people. The caretaker retreated^ closing the door firmly behind him. Shortly^^ he re­ appeared, carrying a box of groceries. He quietly loaded it aboard his pickup and took off. His dog, apparently used to this procedure, met the truck a block away, sized up the vehicle’s speed, and made it over the tailgate in one well-timed running leap. Just above town, past the Bayhorse mine and mill, and across the ^reek, are six large charcoal kilns. Wood from miles around was charred in these ovens. Starved of oxygen, the wood became charcoal, which in turn was fired to high temperature in a bellows—fed furnace. The final separation of silver from its concentrate depended upon such intense heat. Two miles above the kilns, the buildings of the old Ramshorn ;Mlne cling tenaciously to the steep hillside. The Ramshom had eight tunnels located halfway up the mountain slope. Above the Ramshorn, and two thousand feet above the creek, are the four tunnels of the Skylark Mine. Connecting the two mines and a loading station at creek level, was a highcapacity tramway. A few cables still cross the sky overhead, and surviving towers can be traced up to skyline. The lower tramway station at creek level -4- Bayhorse, Idaho �N. Weis was a combination terminal tower, loading bin^ and control house. Cast-iron pulley wheels permitted the endless cable to angle downward to the tension- weighted "turn around" wheel. have been gravity powered. The tramway seems to In fact it was perhaps overpowered by gravity at times. Braking the down­ ward movement of the bucket“laden cable was probably the system's primary speed control. There are three more high—mountain mines near the old town of Bayhorse, all accessible by four wheeler shoe leather. The Bayhorse, Idaho, 7J minute topographic map shows their locations clearly -- right down to the individual switchbacks leading to each site. Two days in Bayhorse were hardly long enough to soak up the scenery. Another three to explore, two more^perhaps^to test the trout, and I would have been almost willing to face civilization. -5- Bayhors e, Idaho �N. Weis BONANZA^CIT^ IDAHO The salmon were starting their run, and the "River of No Return" was lined with fishermen. Every campground was full, from Challis to Clayton to Sunbeam, The campgrounds located along the three-mile stretch of river below Sunbeam were particularly crowded. I stopped at a favored fishing hole^densely populated with anglers, to observe the methods used and perhaps sharein the excitement that comes with the hooking of a big fish. Just below the fishermen, the river was comparatively shallow. Called "Indian Riffles," it was a good place to watch for moving salmon. Occasionally an observer would shout and point to a big one rolling in the white water, and the expectations of the fishermen above would temporarily rise. "Fish on," the man hollered, and everyone his pulled li^thejLr line^ to give the hooked fish room to run. Advice was plentiful. constituted a crowd. action. The fishermen already Now more moved in to watch the Seldom hooked deeply, most salmon manage to throw the hook on their thrashing airborne excursions. But this angler was talented. -6- He "bent" the fish over Bonanza Idaho �N. Weis at its every attempt to break the surface. men moved in with large landing nets. Soon two The fisherman led the tired salmon, flat side up, into the closest net, and the fifteen-pound beauty was lifted safely to dry land. A cheer went up, and a dozen anxious fishermen, their hopes again raised, recast their lures into the water. I resumed my trek up the river, paralleling the course of the migrating salmon. There was more excitement in the campgrounds now. A salmon had been caught, the run was on — the word was spreadingI A few minutes later I stopped at the cafe in Sunbeam for a cup of coffee. As I entered, a dozen men hurriedly paid their bills and left. One of the few remaining customers turned to me and volunteered, "Did you hear about the twenty-five pounder they caught down at Indian Riffles?" Perhaps word of the gold strikes of a century ago had spread in the same way. Seemingly, ^word covered ground faster than a man could travel. discovered Gold was, in faot,^f»«»d. at this spot where the .Yankee Pork joins the Salmon? however, the richest depoi^ts were found a few miles upstream on Yankee Fork. -7- Bonanza ', Idaho �N. Weis Heaved to the surface long ago by some gigantic /gneous belch, veins of gold-bearing ore, exposed to the air, slowly softened and eroded. Finely divided particles of the rich yellow metal traveled for miles down the turbulent waters of the Yankee Pork. Excited miners found the color and followed the trail back upstream, noting carefully the amount of gold found in each pan. If suddenly the colors (specks of gold) were lessened, it meant only that exposed veins were nearby. Somewhere above, on the right or left bank, could be found the mother lode that had spawned the yellow trace. W. A. Norton found the first rich outcropping in 1875. up $11,500 * Named-the "Charles Dickens," the lode gave V; in gold during the first month. The richness of the miney and the promise of more deposfbs in the area were reason enough to build a town. A gently sloping spot on the west bank of Yankee Pork was selected. Just eight miles north of the present site of Sunbeam, the new town was centrally located among the more promising claims. First there was'"' just a store and saloon, then in I879 a newspaper, and by 1880 a population of flj^een hundred. -8- Bonanza (Gityl Idaho �N. Weis Bonanza City* / it was called. Soon a two-r story hotel and a dance hall were constructed. Bonanza's three main streets were quickly filled with buildings. In five years the peak was reached — and the death knell -wm sounded-|when a stamp mill was built at the General Custer Mine, two miles north, A new town sprang up at its side, and Bonanza shrank as the town of Custer swelled. It has been quiet in Bonanza for the past sixty years, except for the dredging operation of the forties and early fifties. Wandering up the stream, the mammoth machine scratched out nearly two million in gold from seven miles of the Yankee Pork's bed. The dredge is still there, and now both it and the town are quiet, A dozen buildings stand vacant, some quite sound and recently in repair. One old shack at the south end of town is covered with "roll" roofing. Long thin sheets of galvanized iron are haphazardly attached to the double log roof. Winds have picked up the loose ends of some of the metal strips and rolled them up in awkward curves, * Bed ^ prings lean against an outside wall, while inside, a low^wooden^ boxed-ln area is filled with staraw,, The walls are papered with old "photogravures," some dated 1922, -9- *See Custer for map information. Bonanza (Cit:^, Idaho �N. Weis In the center of town a number of buildings stand In a neat row, connected at their fronts by a rotting wooden boardwalk. One of these structures displays evidence of laborious repair, designed to prevent the unwanted ingress of winter's Icy blast. Where the plaster chinking was cracked and loose, flattened tin cans were tacked on in windproof over­ lapping rows. Across the street a stout but windowless home displays a copper—sheeted roof. Originally a simple log structure. It has been enlarged with clapboard additions. Slanted shed roofs extend In three directions, giving the old house a dignified appearance, however accidental. To the north, an imposing peak dominates the^kyllne. Named "Bald Mountain," Its barren^ rounded top gives It the appearance of age. It seems to look down, with a compassion born of like circum­ stance, upon the elderly homes and deserted streets of Bonanza City, -10- Bonanza (GitW, Idaho �N. Weis CUSTER, IDAHO In 1876, just one year after the discovery of the Charles Dickens Lode near the site of Bonanza, three prospectors, Baxter, Dodge^and McKein, located a vein of greater promise. Named the "General Custer," it lasted about as long, and expired with the same glory as its colorful namesake. No exploratory work was needed since the vein was long, thlckjand exposed. Enough ore was in sight to warrant construction of a mill. Four years of contested claims and litigation ensued. In 1879 a California combine bought up the primary claims, including the "General Custer" and the nearby "Unknown" and started construction of a mill. The metal wheels, shafts^and stamps were hauled in by paclT^rain. The thlrty'*stamp mill completed, processing of ore commenced in 1880, from Bonanza. Mill workers and miners moved in Some eVen moved entire homes up the two-mlle stretch of nearly level road. The first year, more than one million dollars was realized from the General Custer Mine. By 1886, Custer had grown to nearly thirty-five hundred, but the inevitable bad news was quietly spreading. The ore was reducing in grade, containing less gold per ton. -11- Custer, Idaho �N. Weis The owners (or creditors) of the General Custer and the Charles Dickens unloaded their properties on some willing British buyers, who in turn capitalized the operation with a stock issue. The new company lasted until 1892, its collapse spelling the end of the first lode-mining boom. Of the thirteen million dollars in gold and silver taken from the Yankee Fork fllnes, the General Custer had been responsible for seven million dollars. Three years later, a new vein was found near the old Custer tunnels. Dubbed the "Lucky Boy," it released another million dollar^ worth of gold in nine years. As the mine deepened, the cost of hoisting out the ore rose, and in 190^ the Lucky Boy was forced to close down. The same year a new find on Jordan Greek resulted in formation of the Sunbeam Company, and subsequent construction of a new mill. Its rich ores petered out during enlargement of facilities, and in 1911 the Sunbeam Company also failed. The town of Custer, already largely depopulated, quickly became a ghost. The old schoolhouse stands lonely in a small cleaj^g at the north edge of town, its metal-coated hip-/roof offering stubborn protection. cupola are gone. The bell and Scars above the door show their -12- Custer, Idaho �N, Weis earlier presence. The slate|3oards and school seats have been removed. In their place are the tools and treasures that marked the greatness of Custer's yesterday. The old schoolhouse Is now one of the finest mlnlng.camp museums In the country. There Is an abundance of old gold rockers, wheelbarrows, hand tools, skips (ore hoist buckets), along with a variety of early household appliances. The doctor's house and the old McKensle residence stand together, the lone remnants of a row of buildings that once crowded the main street of Custer, Its porch sagging and held static by temporary supports, the old doc's house shows signs of being used later as a community store. Lettering over the porch roof Is visible, but not readable. Apparently as an afterthought, a heater and stovepipe were added, the stovepipe extending through the transom above the old double doors. The stovepipe rises high above the ridge of the roof, and Is thoughtfully capped with an old pot, effectively shutting off one means of access favored by enterprising rodents. Nothing but an ore bln Is left at the site Qf the General Custer Mill, but nearby, an old deserted home shows a hint of finery. Fancied up with embossed galvanized sheets, and papered with -13- ¥ �N. Weis Intricately patterned oilcloth, It probably was once the home of a top company official, I would have liked to explore the hillsides near Custer and Bonanza, but the maps detailing the area had disappeared. It had been windy, and I had left the truck windows open. blown away. Assuredly, the maps had Three weeks later, and some six hundred miles removed from the site, I found them crumpled and creased, cowering In the crevasse of the front seat. Belated Inspection showed a number of locations I should have visited, such as The Lucky Boy Camp, about three air miles east of Bonanza. The camp has eleven tunnels, thirteen shafts, and sixteen buildings Indicated on the map. A half mile up Jordan Creek are the tunnel? of the Charles Dickens, and four miles f|irther, the buildings of the Sunbeam and Montana /Mines. All are clearly shown on the ?! minute Sunbeam and Custer, Idaho, topographic maps, along with numerous prospect sites and unidentified deserted buildings. The road past the Sunbeam Mine follows Jordan Creek, switchbacks over Loon Creek Summit, then runs down the west fork of Mayfield Creek to the old placer camps on Loon Creek. It was over this pass, known for Its deep and treacherous snows. Custer, Idaho �N, Weis that many prospectors traveled on their quest for gold on the Yankee Pork. Some day I will travel that path, with maps firmly in hand. Custer, Idaho �N. Weis SAWTOOTH CITY, IDAHO The old log building leans heavily to the side, relying gratefully upon the strength of a sturdy pine that has grown closely by its flank, A pole is wedged against the front of the aged structure. Downward is the only direction left to this final surviving remnant of Sawtooth City, The cabin was built about 1880, when the tree alongside was yet to be se^e^ Once a busy blacksmith's shop at the east end of^maln street, its double doors were originally wide enough to admit team and wagon. The door was narrowed to normal width at the convenience of some later resident, A few more cheerless ruins are sprinkled along the main thoroughfare, their logs slanting to a peak at resistant corners. are bleached and cracked. The logs Soft to the finger, they cannot last for long. \9 Sawtooth City* is just a few miles west of U.S, Highway 93, A well-signed road exits to the west about one mile south of the Alturas Lake Road, Heading up Beaver Creek, it is Joined in two miles by a road coming in from the left. Sawtooth City's cemetery is high on a barren north of the junction. The townsite is a mile or so farther up Beaver Creek. * *See Vienna for map information* Sawtooth City, Idaho �N, Weis Sawtooth was once a lively town, with a population approaching one thousand. In 1882 its two interjecting streets held twenty-five homes, three saloons, two eating houses, three stores, a livery, an assay office, a meat market, and of course^ the sturdy log smithy. In 1879, ruby silver had been spotted in quartz outcrops by Levi Smiley, Within two years nine rich veins of the same antlmonial silver had been found and claimed. One of the more active mines was the Pilgrim, with its 1^200—foot tunnel and ores running as rich as 5000 ounces■of silver per.ton. The Silver King, two miles up Beaver Creek, was the most productive and the most persistently active. It was a small town by Itself, complete with bunkhouse and mill. Still sporadically active, the Silver King has suffered through a number of ownerships, setback^ and disasters, A fire in 1891 destroyed its shaft work, hoist house, and air and water pumps. Although the Silver King endured, its limited production was not enough to keep Sawtooth City alive. Less than ten years after it was founded, the town was deserted, and the towering peaks of the Sawtooth Range assumed silent guardianship. Sawtooth City, Idaho �N. Weis VIENNA, IDAHO Just over the hill and up Smiley Canyon, the sprawling camp called "Vienna" was a short eight miles by stage from its sister community of Sawtooth City. Relations between the two towns were strained, and at times were near the feuding point. Each had its own stage line making dally runs between the two towns. Passengers sat lightly in their seats whenever The encounters were mostly verbal, rival coaches met. punctuated with an occasional whiplash aimed at the opposition’s horses. The two towns were remarkably similar. Each had its own mill, and a nearly eqixal number of mi nag, Sawtooth City had its Silver King Mine, and Vienna had its Vienna Mine. Both were discovered by the Smiley group that explored the area in 1879. Vienna developed a year or two behind Sawtooth, but grew to several times its size. In 1882 Vienna had three stores, fourteen saloons, six eateries, a small one-man furniture factory, and a newspaper with two hundred supporters. Flagged //the Vienna Reporter,^ it sold two hundred subscriptions for $1.50 each. Within five months the editor sold out to the /Ketchum Keystone, its prime rival. Like Sawtooth, Vienna’s life was short,, and by 1914 nearly all of its two hundred buildings had been moved or -tg- Vienna, Idaho �N. Weis Only a few log structures were left tom down. undisturbed. The gravel road to Vienna Is well surfaced, but difficult to locate. Driving south Highway 93, the first road to the right, short of Smiley Creek, leads crookedly to the Vienna Road. The turnoff is about four miles i'outh of the Alturas Lake Road. The Alturas Lake, Marshal Peak and Frenchman Greek, Idaho, minute topographic maps show the routes in to Sawtooth City and Vienna, and also Indicate the locations of the many mines in the area. The elght-mile drive to the site of Vienna is of slngularfbeauty. Lined with lodgepole pines for much of the way, the road frequently breaks out into small park like openings, often occupied by mule deer. Jagged tops of the Sawtooth Range break the horizon, closing in as the valley narrows. Vienna occupies the last wide spot, just beyond the second crossing of Smiley Creek. The surviving traces of Vienna are sprinkled downstream along the north bank. Hidden among the trees are numerous old remnants of civilization, much like those of Sawtooth City. Long dead, the two cities still retain their twinship, -Zf- Vienna, Idaho �N, Weis Some cabins are built of logs hewn on all four sides. Such fancy construction is seldom found in old mining camps. One log structure has been reduced to a rectangular outline, low on the ground, with a dooryframe projecting nearly vertical. A dead tree stands nearby, its whitened limbs gnarled and randomly twisted. Shortly upstream and adjacent to the road are the foundations of an old mill. One'half mile CL farther, the road branches. The left branch leads to the old Vienna Mine, The right fork goes a short distance and dead ends at a ford that has been Inundated by a mud flow. The area above is soupy from spring water, and has caused fine sucking mud and gravel to roll slowly downhill. hazardous. In this area, even walking is A few hundred yards above the flow are the remains of the Webfoot Mine,. Appropriately named, the most reliable footing was underground. number of structures. The mine has a A few are intact — an old smithy^ and a large structure of uncertain use. The large building was once two stories high, with a full basement underneath. Too collapsed to permit full exploration, it seemed from the outside to have been a dormitory. I could find no shafts or tunnels. Vienna, Idaho �N. Weis although the building's wreckage could easily have hidden them. At the uphill end was a lean-to, and next to it a small built-in outhouse with chimney^ style vapor vent. Approximately one-half mile uphill from the Webfoot is the old Vienna shaft. Presently^ it is being reworked by the Heinecke Company. They are under contract to cut a thlrteen-hundred-foot tunnel and run twenty-five hundred feet of side drifts. Should these workings uncover the expected veins, a new mill eK'l will be built and the ore reduced to concentrate, which will be' sent outrt?~be~^««fei^ed-. Tests have shown silver lead, zinc^, and gold to be present. Past activities of the Vienna have produced over one million dollars in silver and gold. With a little luck, the Vienna may exceed the Silver King of rival Sawtooth City. The towns no longer vie for leadership, but their two leading mines carry out the feud like a pair of boxers, dead on their feet +4 but still swinging. Vienna, Idaho �N. Weis * Greyer than t^^laska Klondike I than the California Rush of •491/ Richer The elghteen-square-.^ mile area called Boise Basin, surrounding the town of Idaho City, is said to have delivered two hundred fifty A niilllon dollars in gold. So state the members of the Idaho City Historical Foundation. Other historians have estimated a lesser amount, but all agree that square mile for square mile, the placers of the ^asin were the richest found in North America, -1- Idaho City, Idaho �N. Weis Located at the junction of Mores Creek and Slk Greek, and bounded on threc/sides by the gulches named Slaughterhouse, Walla Walla, and Warm Springs, the boom town of Idaho City stretched for nearly four miles along the gold-rich streams. Established in 1862^ and named Bannock, it grew to six thousand souls the first year. In 1864 the settlement territorial legislature incorporated the^tewn, as Idaho City. For twenty years it was the largest town in the territory. Once there were over ten thousand residents (some estimates run as high as thirty thousand) in the city, half of them Oriental, The lure of new-found gold on Loon Creek caused the town to shrink a bit in the 187O’s, but hard-rock mining and dredging sustained Idaho City ^tho-"town, until 1942, when gold production was curtailed by the pdvernment. In 1968, the sign at the edge of town read pop 188, Residents claim only one hundred^twenty-two live year round in Idaho City -- and most of those are forest rangers or loggers. A few old-timers, still actively mining, add to the town’s atmosphere. Hollow footsteps resound as bearded "hard rockers" saunter down the wooden boardp' walks of Main Street. The walks are so thoroughly -2- Idaho City, Idaho �used, especially around the old courthouse, that the thick planks have "been worn thin. High spots caused hy the resistance of nails and knots have left the walk bumpy to the point that strangers find it awkward to maintain a steady course. Forty-six saloons once sold the products of Idaho City's four breweries. fancy billiard rooms. Five of the saloons had Only one of the hard liquor dispensaries has survived. Originally called the "Miners' Exchange Saloon," it has been renamed, but continues to pedate the same reliable merchandise. Saloons are generally fruitful places to gather informa tlon. Olose-lipped old-timers are often more talkative under the influence of minor amounts of "Tongue oil." I entered the old saloon intending to quaff a short salute to the rich history of Idaho City, but the maps that I had brought in with me caused a delay in plans. Before I realized it, the maps were pulled from my grasp and spread all over the bar. Miners and loggers alike were pointing out places of interest. minute maps permits even The detail present in the the most remote shack or tunnel to be located. Idaho City, Idaho, The minute topographic map covers the area surrounding the town. I mentioned I was looking for ghost towns — especially the little-known sites. -3- Idaho City, Idaho �N. Weis "There, that’s the Comeback Mine. to go there. thing. You ought They got a bunkhouse — big two-story Used to be a bunch of people living there." Another miner chimed in. one of the tunnels up there. "Yeah, we’re workin’ Come on up anytime. If we’re not around, just flip the switch at the tunnel and we’ll see the lights flicker. Be glad to show you the place." The dozen helpful map enthusiasts concluded that I should visit the Bellshazzar, the Comeback, and the Golden Age ^amps. Of course, I was reminded, Idaho City and Placerville were too big and too interesting to be l^ored. Finally, after nearly an hour, the maps were folded, and the glorious past of Idaho City was dutifully honored. The morning’s early light shone brightly on the old Idaho World Building, where the territory's leading paper was published. A big black Labrador Retriever insisted on being in every picture I took. It was a quiet and peaceful scene. so. It wasn’t always In 1863 the paper reported: ^’Several parties' were found in the streets on Tuesday morning. J Some with fractured skulls? some with-bunged eyes and swollen -faces, indicating very clearly that there Idaho City,' Idaho �N. Weis had been a muss somewhere during the night. Blood was freely sprinkled about the town on woodpiles and sidewalks. As the puddles of blood were distributed over a large district, it was impossible to locate the fight Idaho City had problems concerning adequate law enforcement. The vigilante movement which spread througlijout the West is said to have originated here. Seldom did vigilantes apprehend a culprit without quickly deciding his guilt and applying the quick justice of the rope. For those whose guilt was less than strongly_suspect, there was a sturdy jail for temporary durance. Acclaimed the first territorial penitentiary, the convincingly stout building has easily survived to the present. Although moved from its initial site, it is otherwise little changed. The walls of the twenty—by-, twenty-four stronghold are constructed of squared logs, twelve inches on a side, and lined with one-inch boards nailed every three Inches in all directions, with old-^ fashioned square nails. Inside partitions, nearly as rugged, are built of four-inch timbers sandwiched be­ tween one-inch boards. Deeply carved over one of the cell doors are the words "PRIVET ROOM." Below this sign, statements of a more ribald nature stand for all -5- Idaho City, Idaho �N. Weis to read. One dirty ditty leaves little doubt concerning one prisoner's opinion of Judge Bear's moral character. In spite of the two disastrous fires that destroyed much of the original Idaho City, there are still dozens of old buildings that are worthy of Inspection, The Masonic Hall with Its white front and covered stairway Is one of the finest. Propped on both sides and through-bolted with twenty-four—foolfe rods, It appears crippled, but well braced. Built In 1865, It looks able to function for another century. Just west of the center of town, and up the to the ' hlll^north. Boot Hill Cemetery overlooks the modern airstrip used by local smoke jumpers. Far more bodies rest atop this hill than are ever found moving along the streets below. Many of the graves are enclosed with wooden fences, elaborately constructed. They now show the sad neglect of time and the unemotional en­ croachment of nature. Massive trees grow from forgotten graves, crowding headboards ruthlessly aside, yet — In return — creating beauty from the bitter soil of death. Life races on, and the log—truck drivers still wheel their rigs downhill as If the Reaper were close behind and gaining. One driver In Idaho City took offense at my suggestion that loggers by nature were Insane and -6- Idaho City, Idaho �N. Weis bent on self-destruction. With jaw muscles tight, he explained that it took three loads a day to make a living, and that too much slowing down wore the brake shoes out. "Besides that," he stated, "I enjoy canning that old semi down the road." Then, eyebrows lowered, he turned and glared at me with his good eye, while his off eye burned a hole in the ceiling. -7- Idaho City, Idaho �N, Weis PLACERVILLE, IDAHO Grassy rolling hills, bounded by heavy stands of pine, form an Idyllic setting for the quiet town of Placerville. On the west bank of a stream carrying the unlikely name of "Woof Creek," the site overlooks the rich placer beds of Ophir Creek and Mud Plat. The Placerville, Idaho, minute ajajp Indicates that the town was Incorporated as a square, one full mile on a side. At Its largest, with a population of five thousand, the town occupied only a fraction of Its assigned area, but Its boundaries Included several placer mines which may have alleviated the tax burden. Like a small midwestern town, Placerville was planned around a city park, or plaza. The park was surrounded by business places, with residences forming the perimeter. A shy old gentleman living just off the plaza was tickled to have someone to visit with. "It's pretty lonely here," he told me, "but that's the way I like It." We looked over the surviving business places, especially the old Magnolia Saloon, once the proudest of the town's three drinking parlors. Built In I9OO, the Magnolia had a full^wldth front porch with a -8- Placervllle, Idaho �N. Weis built-in well. Like a drinking fountain might function today, the well was a popular gathering spot on hot summer days. The second floor of the saloon was finished, but never used. The old-timer watched me write down notes as he talked. He asked me not to use his name, and declined to have his picture taken. Perhaps he had a past that was better forgotten. Across the street, the Boise Basin Mercantile stood empty and tightly shuttered. "See those metal doors and them shutters? That's all that saved the old store. Had a fire here in -- must have been thirty-one, burned a lot of the town. Big forest fira^^urned up the whole town of Quartzburg over west a inile." The store had a metal roofj^ and plastered walls. I speculated that everyone fled town during the fire. "No, In fact some men stayed in the old got klnda tense when the ca'trldges next to the wall started goln’ off.’!^ The brick butcheijshop next to the mercantile survived rather accidentally. The roof burned, but the building proper was saved due to the twelve-inch layer -9- Placervllle, Idaho �N. Weis of dirt that had been placed in the celling as insulation. One store is still in operation, and has been since 18?^, twelve years after the town was founded. One can find a little bit of most anything within its dim Interior. A number of fine old homes are scattered about town, some with gingerbread eaves, others with rock wall terraces, showing past pride and recent neglect. The Emmanuel Episcopal Church displays some of the early glory with its arched shingle-covered Close Inspection shows that the shingles were eaves. patterned? 'Ih-ifour subtle ways and tacked in rows to __ ... • —■ . . - .. form a design balanced equally on the right and left. A few new vacation homes are springing up. Impertinent A-frames in shiny colors Insult the quiet dignity of the unpainted derelicts that stand magnificent in the town of Placerville. -10- Placervllle, Idaho �N. Weis GOMBBACK MINING GAMP, IDAHO Tracking down old mining camps can be exciting, rewarding^and disgusting. The road leading to the Belshazzar was gated and locked. proclaimed the dangers of trespass. Bold signs The Mayflower Mine had been bought up and converted to vacation homes. The Richland never was much, and now was even less. The Gomeback Gamp was as different as it was hard to reach. Between Idaho Glty and Placerville, at a junction called New Gentervllle, a gravel road extends northward along Grimes Greek. Three miles from the junction is the town of Gentervllle, and five miles farther, are the few remaining buildings of Pioneervllle, the first town to spring up in Boise Basin. It was known for a time Hog’em,^'aft er the early settlers that hogged the best claims. Two miles farther north at the second gulch, a "road" branches to the right. Narrow, washed out, and over*** hung with brush,y the mlle-long trail to Gomeback is best suited to jeeps and horses. At the first switchback, a small flat area is occupied by a bachelor's shack, a family residence, machine shop, chicken house, and an old shed with an excavated grease pit. At the upHiill side, mine -11Gomeback Mining Gamp, Idaho �N, Weis dumps encroach upon the already Crowded flat. Above, at the second switchback, a tunnel entrance is [capped with a combination machine and tool shed. A long covered trackw;ay braced with logs extends several hundred feet to the end of the mine dump. Recalling the Invitation offered by the miners back in Idaho City, I began a search for the light switch I was to flick as a signal of my arrival. No switch was evident, and the tunnel didn't look recently used. High above was another dump. currently used tunnel was there. Perhaps the I walked up to the "third level" and found another tunnel which also api^ared Inactive. Next to it, however, was a dilapidated two-story bunkhouse with built-in cook*^ shack. Alongside was an old miner's shack, complete with barking dog. Above were more tunnels, but no switches, and no sign of life. Louis Truger, now living in Centerville, was a part owner of the Comeback from I931 until recently. He stated that over $679,000jBi in gold had been taken from the tunnels. During 1940 and 1941, an especially rich kidney, or pocket, was uncovered. It yielded nearly $200,000488 in gold. During the heyday at the Comeback, twenty-five Comeback Minine Camp, Idaho �N. Weis people stayed on the site, leaving only on weekends to "raise a little hell” In Idaho City. The mine was found In 192^ by a logger named Louis Palnlch, who spotted rich mineralization In the «311 exposed by an uprooted tree. He took a sample and planned — If It assayed rich — to come back. It was, and he did. He also named the mine. On my way down the hill I noticed the tire tracks I had made coming up. In places, they were within Inches of the steep drop-off. Playing It safe, I crowded the brush-covered "up" side, and promptly collapsed the right mirror and sheared off the radio antenna. I don’t plan to "Comeback." If you plan to visit the site, drive a narrow vehicle and take along the Ploneervllle, minute and Garden Valley, Idaho, 15 minute topographic maps. -13- Gomeback Mining Camp, ho �N. Weis GOLDEN AGS GAMP, IDAHO Placer gold was found along Grimes Greek in 1862. Most of the early miners chose to separate the fine gold laboriously from its attendant sand and gravel. Others, spurning the assurance of a small poke, gambled for higher stakes. Somewhere upstream would be the mother lode. In classic style, the placers played out as the hard-f'ock mines were discovered and developed. The Gomeback, Missouri, Oro, and the Golden Age mines all tapped residual lodes that had enriched Grimes Greek. A man named Wells found the richest ore, just four miles north of Ploneervllle. Named the Golden Age, the claim eventually became the property of a large Spokane outfit. The ore seemed to get richer with depth, and soon two mills, a dozen homes, two bunkhouses, a recreation hall, and a two-story hotel were built. Seventy-five men worked here during the boom years of the early 1900*s. A schoolhouse was constructed nearby. Named the "Diana School," it served all the kids of the mining camp. 'A small outhouse stands behind, and above its narrow door, an overlarge sign states*fl"MAIN SNTSANGS." The G-^jTden Valley, Idaho, 15 minute map shows the locations of both the school and mining camp. -14- Golden Age Gamp, Idaho �N. Weis An eight-one-year-old former miner named A Hawkins is now the caretaker. He and his wife live in one of the residences at the camp. We toured the empty camp, carefully inspecting the larger buildings. The second story of the hotel contained the main company offices, and a large dancehall. The men were paid three dollars a day, with one dollar per day deducted for room and board. Saturday was pay^^ay, and Saturday night was for dancing. The big bosses could sit in their offices and watch benevolently over their cavorting employees. The downstairs portion of the hotel contained a dining hall, a small company store, a few rooms and a large kitchen with built-in woodshed. A huge Arcadian range filled one end of the kitchen. A flfty-,gall^n drum was adapted as a side-arm heater, with coils extending into and around the old stove. For a while the mills turned out thirty-five hundred dollars in gold per day. The deep vein made removal of ore difficult, and when the shaft went below creek level, the water flooded in. The cost of lifting and processing the ore, combined with the added expense of pumping the water, more than equaled the value of the gold. The mine shut down. Before long, both mlills and some of the camp structures burned to the ground. Golden Age Camp, Idaho �N. Weis No one knows how much gold 1| left in the hill. It is under water. Butbas Hawkins stated, "Gold doesn’t dissolve, you know," -UGolden Age WMe Camp, Idaho � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Norman Weis Manuscripts Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/</a> Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 1971-1987 Description An account of the resource A collection of manuscripts by Casper College professor Norman Weis. <br /><br />This collection includes manuscripts of:<br /><em>Ghost Towns of the Northwest: Known and Unknown<br />The Starduster<br />Two-Story Outhouse<br />Helldorados<br /></em><br />Each manuscript contains written in edits by Norman Weis Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Norman Weis Language A language of the resource ENG Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. Norm Weiss Manuscripts and Photographs, CCA 10.2003.01 WyCaC US. Casper College Archives and Special Collections. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Searchable PDF Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CCA 10.2003.01_Weis_Manuscripts Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Manuscript Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource <div class="element-text five columns omega"> <p><em>Ghost Towns of the Northwest: Known and Unknown </em>Idaho Draft</p> </div> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <div class="element-text five columns omega"></div> <div class="element-text five columns omega"> <p><a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/</a></p> </div> Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 1971 Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Norman Weis Language A language of the resource ENG Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. Norm Weiss Manuscripts and Photographs, CCA 10.2003.01 WyCaC US. Casper College Archives and Special Collections. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CCA 10.2003.01_Weis_GhostTowns_DraftManuscript_Idaho Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Searchable PDF https://caspercollege.cvlcollections.org/files/original/5460f7a7936d30b067b508ad44dd849a.pdf 4fb57b5f6ac6fb8d5fe01920348accfe PDF Text Text WYOMING , �N. Weis SOUTH PASS CITY, WYOMING Gold seekers settled on Willow Greek In 1867. The camp soon became a town, and the town became the largest in the State. Named South Pass Within eighteen months, its City, it grew quickly. What should have population exceeded two thousand. been a curly-haired, short-tempered saloon town, became^instead, a family community. Those miners with wives and children, seeking a safe home, chose this town rather than Atlantic City, located five miles east. The women were quick to organize and preserve this precious quality. Some say organiza­ tion was haistened by the several long meetings held during the Indian raids. Hostiles frequently threataned the town, driving off the stock and stealing whatever was left unguarded. During the raids, the women and children were locked in a cave/llke recess behind the wine celler owned by a local merchant. iron door. The celler was protected by a stout Many a decision was made in the darkness of this hideaway. Under less frightening circumstances, the women organized a club, held numerous meetings^and discussed women’s rights. Mrs. Esther Hobart Morris, -8- South Pass City, Wyoming �N. Weis who came to South Pass in 1869, was a strong advocate of women’s right to vote. That year, encouraged by the women club members, Mr. William Bright drafted a bill giving equal suffrage to women. was introduced and passed! The bill Shortly after, Mrs. Esther Hobart Morris was appointed j^ustice of the ^eace. Many heated cases were accorded a decision by the good lady. None of them w^e overruled by a higher court. However quiet. South Pass City was still a mining town. Its Main Street was crowded with false—fronted buildings, nearly every other one a saloon. Main Street was nearly a half mile long. The town had the first bank in the area, a well-* organized school system, a newspaper, and a regular stage service. The Carissa Lode, the richest deposit in the area, poured forth its wealth, and the town prospered. A few other mines in the area were producing, like the Franklin, the Shields, and the Jim Crow Hoosier Boy, but the Carissa was the big one, and when its vein pinched out, the life of the town began to flicker. By 1880, South Pass City Many buildings were moved has away, but each of those remaining ^laase a story to tell. was nearly deserted. -9- South Pass City, Wyoming �N. Weis The jail Is still in fine shape,the cell doors swinging freely. It is clearly evident why it was later called "the cooler." Even the town dog likes to sleep here on hot summer days. Next to the jail is the old hat shop, later converted to a saloon. The Smith Sherlock store has been recently converted to a museum. The town is undergoing a continuing process of restoration. South Pass City is a quiet place in the summer, and completely deserted each winter. A lonely graveyard overlooks < the town from the south. On the northern hill, the Carissa Mine patiently waits reactivation, A single caretaker watches over the massive investment. Perhaps a new and cheaper way to extract the gold will be found, and the giant will stir to life again. -10- South Pass City, Wyoming i-- �N. Weis THE DUNCAN, WYOMING Prom Atlantic City, an excellent gravel road winds steeply up Mill Hill, levels off and heads southeast. At the crest, one mile south of town, a dirt road branches to the right. Traveling this road westward, the Mary Ellen sine comes quickly into view. Then, within a mile of the turnoff, "The Duncan" becomes visible. Both mines are on the right side of the road, and are on the Atlantic City, Wyoming, 7| minute topographic map. The first rich strike was made here in 1911. In three years, forty thousand dollars'^worth of ore was removed. During those three years, fifteen hundred feet of underground tunnels and shafts were completed, and a Nissen stamp mill and amalgamator were installed. The outfit was capable of extracting o ■sfcsEty per^^ent of the gold. In 191^ the operation ran into financial trouble, and the mine closed down. Thirty-two years later, new owners gave it another try. A new ball mill, classifier, and several agitator tanks were obtained. Eight floatation cells and a concentrator, or shaker table, were installed. Just twelve tons of ore were processed that year. valued at a total of about two thousand dollars. -19- The Duncan, Wyoming �N, Weis In 1956, the mine underwent another hopeful spurt of activity, with three thousand tons shipped at about During its busiest years, twelve dollars per ton. "The Duncan" rivaled in size the towns of Atlantic City and Miners Delight. Several dozen cabins, a small store, and a two-story/dormitory occupied most of the level area at the top of the hill. The mine buildings cover the hillside for hundreds of feet, ending in another smattering of buildings. Now everything is shuttered and.locked, awaiting a rise in the price of gold. are vacant. The houses The dormitory, with its outside stairs, is quiet, and heavy boots no longer threaten the quick nap of the man on the "off shift." -20- The Duncan, Wyoming �N. Weis LSWISTON, WYOMING "Lewiston? Never heard of It I" What Lewiston? In Wyoming? But the entire population of Atlantic City knew about the town — all four of them. In fact, one of them used to live there I Good old Sam Vjestlc — and he promptly volunteered to ride along on .a visit to the town~slte. Was there anything left, as the map Indicated — or was It all gone, as some historians claimed? "Veil, dere’s a store, und a llffery, und some mines dere," volunteered Sam. We drove south out of Atlantic City, up Mill Hill, past The Duncan turnoff, and headed east on a good gravel road. About eight miles out of town, Sam called for an abrupt turn to the right. Here on the banks of Rock Creek, rested a monument - a bronze slab cemented to a mound of rock. Inscribed on the plaque Is a story of nearly unequaled tragedy. ^WILLIE'S HANDCART COMPANY Captain James C. Willie’s Handcart Company of Mormon Emigrants on the way to Utah, greatly exhausted by the deep snows of an early winter and suffering from lack of food and clothing had assembled here for -21- Lewiston, Wyoming �N. Weis reorganization by relief parties from Utah about the end of October 1865. Thirteen persons were frozen to death during a single night and were burled here in one grave. Two otAers died the next day and were buried nearby. Of the company of 40^ persons 77 perished before help arrived. The survivors reached Salt Lake November 9 1856.X The South Pass was indeed treacherous I It was quite clear,^w why Pacific Springs was called "Celebration City." About four miles fj|lrther east we took a fork to the left, forded Strawberry Creek, and drove into the town of Lewiston, The Radium Springs, Wyoming, 7i minute topographic map shows most of the important sites in fine detail. Part of this map is reproduced in the introduction. Lewiston isn’t very big — just two buildings with a street between. false front and all. On the left was the old store, On the right was the llver^’, its interlocking logs holding it firmly plumb with the world. The Store had five rooms and showed signs of frequent haphazard expansion. Its sod roof, supported by large split logs, had collapsed in a -22- Lewiston, Wyoming �N. Weis number of places. The most recent occupants had been sheep and cattle. Gattie enjoy scratching themselves by rubbing against door jambs, and once the door is knocked off, a building comes down quickly. The Lewiston Store will not stand for long. The livery looked like it would photograph best from the rear. The view through the finder showed that I was a bit too close. few feet and stopped. I b^ed up a Not far enough yet. I backed up a few feet more, focused the camera, and took the picture. Behind me I could hear the clatter of pebbles falling, bouncing, and fading into faint echoes. I had basked up to the very brink of a deep vertical mine shaft. I circled back another dozen feet and photographed the livery, with the site of my stupidity in the foreground. This town once had more than twenty-five buildings, including four saloons, which is a pretty low "sin percentage," as mining towns go. It had several mines right in town, the most famous of which was the Bullion Shaft. Pounded in 1879, Lewiston was the center of the "new discovery." Much salting and selling was carried out. -23- Each Lewiston, Wyoming �N. Weis "sucker" salted in turn, and made money selling to the next huyer. One-half mile south of town are the remains of the Hidden Hand mine. is the Iron Duke Shaft. Forty feet away I speculated that two shafts this close had to lead to the same vein. Sam Vjestic added "dey haf to lead to a good fight when da tunnels meet, toot Sam knew what he was talking about, for he spent several years hogging out the rock in order to form those shafts I One-half mile to the north is the Good Hope Mine. This building is in a most artistic state of disrepair. As its lower side walls collapsed, its stout inner structure guided the outer portions downward to rest sedately, with a dignified list to port. Like a crippled queen of the oceans, it rides the windswept plains, valiantly resisting the inevitable. A family of wildcats lives in the old relic. They have been seen standing on the peak of the gallows frame, and no doubt have found some o crevi/Se suitable for a den. More hazardous than the wildcats)^ is the horizontal tunnel running out from the building. In places the tunnel is within a foot or two of the surface. -24- Your weight Lewiston, Wyoming �N. Weis might collapse It, Your car most certainly would break through. It had been a long day, and we were tired. The return trip was hot, dryland dusty. As we neared Atlantic City, I suggested we stop for a cooling drink at Glessler's Saloon. lit up. "Yah, I haf a coke." Sam’s eyes Realizing a coke might be pretty tame stuff for a tough old miner like Sam, I suggested something with more substance. "Naw," replied Sam. "I swear off dat hard stuff ever since I get mad back In ^thirty-eight," -25Lewlston, Wyoming �N. Weis WYOMING A3BA 2 Thi-3-Uni-^ ■ft4Dntiq1'ns a.pproximately 3^^00-wmtg-^ WYOMING Union pacific was driving its rails west. The mountains of eastern Wyoming had been breached. West of Laramie, the land leveled out to plains and high desert, permitting more rapid progress, but the flat land was Indian land, and the Indians resented the intrusion. Port Steele was established in 1868 to protect the Overland Stage Line and the Union Pacific -1- Port Steele, Wyoming �railroad. The presence of four companies (about three hundred men) encouraged construction and safe^ guarded travelers. Located at the Overland Trail crossing of the North Platte River, the fort was ideally placed to carry out its protective function. Within forty­ eight hours of the arrival of troops, ruffians and crooks had set up shop a half mile to ^e south at a place called Brownsville. A typical railhead town, stores, eating houses, saloons^ and gambling joints fronted the street, and sporting houses were placed ^hind. The population of Brownsville reached fifteen hund^red within a week. The Army, claiming it was a bad influence, kicked the town off Government land. Brownsville, only weeks old, promptly moved three miles to the western boundary of the fort, and renamed itself "Benton," It became "the/one bad town on the U.f." Fort Steele was built around a small parade ground. There was no stockade^and none was needed. Records indicate that the soldiers never met the enemy in battle. Gravel walks surrounded the parade ground and fronted the buildings. officers,* row. The west side was Four two-story buildings each housed �N. Weis about twenty officers. The central building was the residence of the commanding officer. On the east side were enlisted men’s barracks, laundries, and a sawmill. The railroad passed by the south side, separating the fort from the ^ut^ler’s post and saloon. In 1886 the fort was abandoned. Eight years later the property was purchased by the Cosgriff Brothers for one hundred dollars. They converted the buildings to stores and residences. One of the officers’ quarters became a hotel and the powder house a granary. The saloon remained a saloon. much of the town. Later, fire destroyed The remaining buildings became the property of the Leo Sheep Company. The site of Fort Fred Steele (later the /Town of Fort Steele), is reached by traveling twelve miles east of Rawlins on Highway 80, then north two miles along the west bank of the Platte River. The fort, its parade ground still prominent, is just across the Union Pacific tracks. The Walcott, Wyoming, 15 minute topographic map is of notable help. Dated 1912, it shows much of the fort as it used to be. Many of the buildings Indicated on the map are now merely foundations or depressions in the ground. -3- Fort Steele, Wyoming �N. Weis Much of the old glory has faded — the enlisted men’s barracks are filled with barbed wire, salt, wool, and old sheep hides. The gable end of the building nearest the railroad tracks carries evidence of a number of uses. Several signs have been lettered on its frenteThe most prominent and probably the last:-/^ "Pt. Steele General Store." a sign; Below is "WATER TOUR AUTO HERS." One building stands on ^fflcei^*^row. In remarkably good shape, it is like two houses glued together — each the exact mirror Image of the other. A single partition separates the two stairways as they lead side by side to the bedrooms on the upper level. Behind the building are two "hallway" exten­ sions. Each leads to its own Indoor outhouse. The "privilege of rank" was particularly appreciated on frosty mornings, but the price paid was the ever­ present odor. privilege." Perhaps a better term would be "rank As the cesspools filled, the hallways were extended to reach freshly dug pits. Some old forts had hallways up to sixty feet long. The life of Port Steele was short — and so were its outhouse extensions. On the hill, just southwest of the old "fort become town," are the remains of acting Governor -im­ port Steele, Wyoming �N. Weis Chatterton’s home. inches thick. The poured walls are eighteen J Old-fashioned concrete, called grout, was made with burned lime and unwashed gravel. The joists and rafters were poured in place. The Richard's Toll Bridge, located near Port Steele, was in operation during the years of emigration. Built for ^55000, it took $^0,000 in toll the first season. Fording the North Platte River was often dangerous. The graveyard just south of the fort gives evidence of such hazard on several headstones. Glassing the riverbank, trying to spot the old bridge abutments, I noticed a timbered trestle, perhaps the remnant of a bridge approach. The caretaker at the nearby waterworks (for the town of Rawlins) supplied some brief answers. "No, it's not a bridge." Pressed for more information, the caretaker added, "Bunch of buildings over there. We call it "Timber Town." That was exciting news. My topographic map showed some buildings there, but I had been given to understand they had all been demolished. The remains of the old Jj^own ( of Benton were nearby, and on the Fort Steele side of the river. A hurried visit to that site, then the "bunch of buildings" would have to be looked into carefully. ---------------------5- Fort Steele, Wyoming K �N. Weis BSMTON, WYOMING Called T<^Tjnf’’ and ’’Outlaw To-vm,” preceded generally by unprintable expletiveJ; Benton was likely the wildest town ever to exist In Wyoming. There Is nothing left of the town, just one hell of a story and millions of broken bits of glass from bottles emptied and thrown, Benton was the Illegitimate child of the Union Pacific. Three miles west of the fort, It was beyond military control, yet close enough to dtract the fort’s several hundred troopers. It was the tent town railhead at the seven hundred mile marker, measured west from Omaha, It was born on July 1, 1868, when the Army kicked the town of Brownsville off their reservation. It died In September, 1868, at the age of three months. But what a summerI One hundred people were killed In three wild months. There were no trees, the ground was bare, and the alkali was six Inches deep underfoot. Stolen locomotive headlights Illuminated seductively decorated billboards. The North Star Saloon and the Desert Hotel were prominent Institutions of doubtful character. Other business houses carried signs bordered In red, and needed no explanation, for the street was their -6- Benton, Wyoming �N. Weis front parlor. Twenty-three saloons dispensed, beer, bitters^and bourbon. Five dance halls offered the same fare — but with added attractions. Three thousand people lived in Benton, and on weekends it neared five thousand. Lots sold for ($100(j|, and^main street was sold out. Water was scarce. Hauled from the Platte River, it sold for a dollar a barrel. One former resident recorded an "irregularity" concerning the delivery of water. A mule skinner had just hauled the water jin on a skidL Being thirsty, he adjourned to the nearest bar and tipped a few. He came out in time to see the mules •backed up to the first row of barrels, one animal responding to the call of nature. He sold the barrel and explained, "Hell, it was so damned muddy you couldn’t see the bottom anyway." -7- Benton, Wyoming �N. Weis WALCOTT, WYOMING Prom 1890 to 1910, Walcott was the busiest railroad loading point between Omaha, Nebraska, and Ogden, Utah. Mining machinery and building materials were hauled in — copper ore and cattle were sent out. There was a hotel on the north side of the tracks next to the depot. Two livery stables and a number of stores and saloons flanked the dirt road entering from the south. Several hundred people lived here during the mining boom, but as time passed, unfortunate things happened to Walcott, The copper mines and smelters of Encampment, to the south, went broke. town. A highway was built, bypassing the As a final insult, the Union Pacific depot was removed in 19^0. There are two Walcotts now. The "new highway' Walcott*'is seven miles east of the Port Steele turnoff. north. The "railroad Walcott" is one mile Both are shown on the Walcott, Wyoming, 15 minute topographic map. There are two fascinating points of Interest at the site of the railroad town. One is the old saloon, and the other is its caretaker, Slim Parkko. The saloon has a sign on its false front -18- Walcott, Wyoming �N. Weis that is a work of art. In fancy scroll and block letters it states: THE GLUB Saloon JOHN H. LEWIS The "S" is backwards in "saloon," but correct in "Lewis!" Perhaps it was intended to be the "Club Saloon," with a scrolly "C", but it looked like a "G" — and "Glub" had an appropriate sound — so "Glub" it became. If it brought in customers, Proprietor Lewis wasn’t about to change it. An old rusted tin sign on the saloon states: Gornone Cigar Company’s DRY CLIMATE A Cigar Built for the Altitude Across the tracks are a number of the old cabins of Walcott. Sheep Company. Now they are used by the Vivian Old wooden wagon wheels lean everywhere. Removed from sheep wagons, they have been replaced with rubber-tired wheels. On my way out of town I stopped to visit with one of the few surviving residents of Walcott. He lives in a well<*kept little house just behind the "Glub Saloon." A veteran sheep'^ms.n, he Introduced himself as "Slinf Parkko, and — like the saloon — he was most descriptively named. -1§- Walcott, Wyoming �N. Weis "Does that sign really read the "Glub**' ' Saloon," I asked^ Slim replied, "Yup." "How many people are living here now?" Slim looked across the tracks. "Them two and just me." "Is that little building up on the hill an old water tank?" "Yup," said Slim, looking a little tired from such continued effort. *• As I left" town, I looked back at the meager remains of this*onc.e busy freighting junction. The town was well suited to its leading citizen. Walcott— like Slim’s conversation— was "real sparse." -20Walcott, Wyoming � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Norman Weis Manuscripts Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/</a> Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 1971-1987 Description An account of the resource A collection of manuscripts by Casper College professor Norman Weis. <br /><br />This collection includes manuscripts of:<br /><em>Ghost Towns of the Northwest: Known and Unknown<br />The Starduster<br />Two-Story Outhouse<br />Helldorados<br /></em><br />Each manuscript contains written in edits by Norman Weis Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Norman Weis Language A language of the resource ENG Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. Norm Weiss Manuscripts and Photographs, CCA 10.2003.01 WyCaC US. Casper College Archives and Special Collections. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Searchable PDF Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CCA 10.2003.01_Weis_Manuscripts Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Manuscript Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource <div class="element-text five columns omega"> <p><em>Ghost Towns of the Northwest: Known and Unknown&nbsp;</em>Wyoming Draft</p> </div> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <div class="element-text five columns omega"> <p><a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/</a></p> </div> Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 1971 Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Norman Weis Language A language of the resource ENG Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. Norm Weiss Manuscripts and Photographs, CCA 10.2003.01 WyCaC US. Casper College Archives and Special Collections. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CCA 10.2003.01_Weis_GhostTowns_DraftManuscript_Wyo Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Searchable PDF https://caspercollege.cvlcollections.org/files/original/352f32921147782bc3bd30039f79547a.pdf dbc5b1ab426ab8fce0a57c2814a82b1e PDF Text Text hat she might think me some/untutor^djyouth, f. Unlearned in the world’s false subtilties. ,p — Li 1/ e child of Venus. 5 li 4 what ... to be take the worst to be the best — i.e. consider my false mistress to be beautiful. 5 corrupt corrupted. 6 Be anchor’d . . , men ride have caused me to be anchored in a common harbour. The bitter sexual implication is obvious. 7 falsehood deception, forged created. 9 that a several plot that place (woman) a private possession. 10 com­ mon open to all. iz not not the case. tj-14 In things . . . transferred The suggestion is that because the poet in the past has failed to recognize true love and beauty as a punishment his eyes and heart have now been afflicted with the plague 6f deception. <j, Thou bjind Love, hast whatthoiWorged dost thou tohooks. mine eves Why of eyes’fool, falsehood That they behold, and see not what they see? Whereto the judgment of my ' They should know what be^ty is, see where it lies. Why my heart think that a several fplotA— *■ Yet w)iatmy thehe^t best isknows take thethe wt^rst to be. Which wide world’s common e If eyes,(corrupt by over-partial)looks, 5 Be r’^/n the^bay where ml men Or ancho mine ev es-se'eing~This, say this is not,ride,? To put fair truth upon"s^',fpul,^face? \ In things right ype-ipy feart and~gyes have erred, —• And to this falsejplXue are they novt transferred.^ ,.X <><><><><><><><><><><> 138 - S I- F• T "A “ ktVt. /When my love swears that she is made of truth |1 do believe her, though I know she\lie^ SONNET 138:*~r truth (a) veracity (b) fidelity. 2 believe pretend to believe, lies (a) prevaricates (b) fornicates. The poet is deliberately ambiguous. 5 That in order that. 5 vainly in self-deception. 7 Simply pretending to be simpleminded (b) completely, absolutely, credit be­ lieve. 9 unjust unfaithful. zz habit appearance. 25 lie Again used with deliberate ambiguity. Z4 And in .. . flattered be and in our re­ spective shortcomings each of us is flattered by the lies of the other. 138 5 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Margaret Demorest Annotations on Shakespeare's Sonnets Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <div class="element-text five columns omega"> <p><a href="https://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-US/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-US/1.0/</a></p> </div> Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 1968 Description An account of the resource Scans of a copy of Shakespeare's sonnets containing former Casper College English instructor Margaret Demorest's annotations. Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Margaret Demorest, William Shakespeare Language A language of the resource ENG Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. Margaret Demorest Papers, CCA 10.2011.01 WyCaC US. Casper College Archives and Special Collections. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CCA 10.2011.01_Demorest_Sonnets Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Written Annotations Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource <div class="element-text five columns omega"> <p>Margaret Demorest Sonnet Annotations: Sonnets 137 and 138</p> </div> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <div class="element-text five columns omega"> <p><a href="https://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-US/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-US/1.0/</a></p> </div> Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 1968 Subject The topic of the resource Shakespeare, William, -- 1564-1616 -- Sonnets; Sonnets, English -- History and criticism Description An account of the resource <span class="value-content">The following transcription of Demorest's annotations was selected and transcribed by Casper College student and Archives staff member Grace MacPherson in February of 2024.<br /><br /><strong>SONNET 137</strong><br />1597 – Parl (Oct) – Fr. Bacon spoke strongly on enclosures: Intro, 2 bills passed, Famine prompted<br />St calls Mary the anchor of Papists<br />Wyatt: “Farewell, Love, and all thy laws forever, / Thy baited hooks shall tangle me no more– (ends)...Me lusteth no longer rotten boughs to climb[.”] includes “liberty is lever” <br />Prob fight over enclosure<br />Plot is laid for my life?<br />Letters forged acc to Essex<br /><br /><strong>SONNET 138</strong><br />Nothing here says she is young<br />Could be Bacon spkg<br />Raleigh has poem Hist which says, Death cover over all great + pride, cruelty _ ambition of men with 2 narrow words– “His jacet” [Quotation from Walter Raleigh’s “The History of the World: In Five Books.” “Hic jacet” is Latin for “here lies,” and was often inscribed on gravestones.]<br />The Truth: Recog + accept. of false</span> Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Demorest, Margaret; Shakespeare, William Language A language of the resource ENG, LAT Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. Margaret Demorest Papers, CCA 10.2011.01 WyCaC US. Casper College Archives and Special Collections. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CCA 10.2011.01_Demorest_Sonnets_137_138 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF https://caspercollege.cvlcollections.org/files/original/7b3e84616ecb5def64da6c272a8e6329.tif 43d2aabf31e11f2b9c3162ddee8b6de5 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Norman Weis Photographs Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <div class="element-text five columns omega"> <p><a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/</a></p> </div> Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 1969 Description An account of the resource Photos of ghost towns by Casper College professor Norman D. Weis. States photographed in this collection include: Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Norman Weis Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. Norm Weiss Manuscripts and Photographs, CCA 10.2003.01 WyCaC US. Casper College Archives and Special Collections. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CCA 10.2003.01_Weis_Photos Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource TIF Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Photograph Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource <div class="element-text five columns omega"> <p>Oregon Ghost Towns Area 1: Susanville, OR</p> </div> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <div class="element-text five columns omega"> <p><a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/</a></p> </div> Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 1969 Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Norman Weis Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. Norm Weiss Manuscripts and Photographs, CCA 10.2003.01 WyCaC US. Casper College Archives and Special Collections. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CCA 10.2003.01_Weis_Photos_OR_16 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource TIF https://caspercollege.cvlcollections.org/files/original/51ca4a404eec0980f95cc280307a7fca.pdf 44ae779375c7350342795f5abb674280 PDF Text Text home I overview t read reviews | contact editors contribute reviews * guideiines & criteria * subscribe to announcements Barnett, Ronald. (2003). Beyond All Reason: Living With Ideology in the University, Buckingham, UK: Society for Research into Higher Education and the Open University Press. Pp.231 $34.95 (cloth) ISBN 0-335-20894-0 Reviewed by Chad Hanson Casper College, Casper, WY March 8, 2004 Beyond All Reason is the most recent book by Ronald Barnett, professor of Higher Education, University of London. The present volume is the latest in a series of Barnett’s books published by the Open University Press. Other titles include The Idea ofHigher Education (1990), Improving Higher Education (1992), The Limits of Competence (1994), and Realizing the University in an Age of Supercomplexity (1999). Each book is devoted to a specific aspect of university life: the history of the higher learning (1990), total quality management (1992), competency-based curriculum (1994), and the issue of technology transfer (1999). But despite a steady focus on substantive concerns, the most notable feature of Barnett’s work is the sociological nature of his analysis. In each text, Barnett uses a broad theoretical framework to demonstrate that higher education is, above all else, a social institution. His work sheds a revealing light on the beliefs and practices common to universities, and in the process he puts forth a case for understanding higher education as a component of the wider society. Specifically, in Beyond All Reason Barnett turns his attention to ideology. Here, he describes the culture that shapes the stories we tell ourselves about who we are and what our work is for in higher education. Barnett probes our sense of institutional identity, and he examines the ideological forces that shape our sense of purpose. Like a trained arborist he unearths the roots that give rise to the codes and values that we live by. The text is scholarly. But the book is more than a formal academic tome. In a style consistent with the other volumes in the series, a thread of social criticism is woven through the work. Although, I would point out that Barnett breaks with the tradition of many critical theorists, often content to �disapprove and run. Barnett stays the course until he’s offered an alternative to the present state of affairs. The book serves, in part, as a call to arms. In the end, Barnett makes a plea for faculty to use the power of ideology to remake the university. Barnett begins by describing how higher education was insulated from the interests and demands of other institutions, over most of its 800 year history. In the past, the role of the university was singular and clear. Universities existed to advance and disseminate knowledge. Faculty and staff saw themselves as servants of scholarly and disciplinary interests. However, Barnett suggests the recent withdrawal of public financial support for higher education moved universities into a unique historical era. Waning public support forced universities to buttress their budgets with funds from private sources. In the process, Barnett claims that universities directed their attention away from their historic interest in pursuing knowledge for its own sake, and toward applied pursuits with practical applications for business. Barnett is not the first to make such a claim (Slaughter and Leslie, 1997), but his work is distinctive because he goes beyond an analysis of the financial and organizational changes that accompany the shift from public to private funding. His analysis includes an examination of the change in norms, roles, and values that accompany the shift. Barnett portrays the university as an institution that defines itself in entrepreneurial terms; an institution that maintains itself along the lines of corporations in the free market. In short, he describes the university as an institution drunk with the ideology of “entrepreneurial^^” (2003, p. 73). In the ongoing quest to raise support for its operations, the university has abandoned the lonely ivory tower and refashioned itself as an integral part of the global economy. Changes in faculty hiring practices, increased reliance on sources of external funding, and the vocationalization of the curriculum are all documented here as symptoms of the wider cultural transformation of the university. But for Barnett, these changes are the least of our concerns. He suggests, in the process of turning itself into what is largely an engine of economic development, the university is undergoing a fundamental change in its identity. He claims: The entrepreneurial university is engaged ... on an especially risky course. It may be risking more than it understands for it may be risking itself. In coming to be a different kind of institution, it risks coming to live by new sets of values. (2003, p. 66) Barnett questions the place of free market or entrepreneurial values in an institution meant to serve a higher purpose than the typical organization in �the private sector, which we understand to be focused on the bottom line. But his primary concern is the insidious nature of the move toward entrepreneurial values. He suggests that the move has taken place without public debate, or even debate among university professionals closest to the change. According to Barnett, the debate has been stifled because entrepreneurialism produces consent. Within our current culture, the norms and values of the free market are accepted carte blanche, they seem natural to faculty and staff. Consequently, the changes associated with the recent transformation of higher education are rarely held up to scrutiny. Barnett stops short of suggesting that the values inherent to capitalism are altogether bad, but he maintains that the adoption of an entrepreneurial model is risky, and he contends that we have failed to examine the consequences of our efforts to reform and restructure the university along free market lines. According to Barnett, our silence on this matter is antithetical to the spirit of critical inquiry that was vital to higher education in the past. He suggests, on one hand, “The risk may be felt to be worthwhile,” but he hastens to add, “that consideration implies that the risk to the university’s value structure has been actually identified and weighed” (2003, p. 66). His concern is that the language and ideology of industry have breached and transformed the university, unchallenged. Administrators and faculty think in terms of “innovation, flexibility, and adaptation” (Barnett 2003, p. 67). We use words and phrases like, “efficiency, productivity, accountability, competition, and total quality management” to talk about our work (Bean, 1998, p. 497). The vocabulary of our vocation has changed incrementally and quietly. But Barnett points out that even though the changes have been inconspicuous, they are not paltry or innocent. He uses the current emphasis on “quality” as an illustration of the consequences that accompany the changes in our language and our way of thinking about the university. He writes: If higher education is felt to be a matter of producing highly qualified manpower for the labour market, a definition of quality is likely to result that plays up employability as a measure of quality. (2003, p. 95) Barnett is quick to point out that, “Quality is not neutral,” and he goes on to suggest that, “it is not... independent of wider socioeconomic interests” (2003, p. 95). On the contrary, words have the ability to veil interests, and they are used to wield power (Said, 1994). Under the cover of terms that are hard to find fault with, terms like “quality,” we move along without questioning the motives for changes in curriculum, hiring practices, or course delivery methods. We tend not to question. We are apt to see quality �as something that is prearranged, but quality is not a given. The definition of quality involves a negotiation of power. Anyone in a position to define quality is in a position to determine what is good and what is not good. That is a big distinction, and the people who make it wield power. In the words of Robert Pirsig, “Quality for sheep is what the shepherd says” (1974, p. 392). Barnett’s overarching thesis is that ideology has the power to shape our understanding of what constitutes good practice in higher education, and in the process, alternative visions for the institution are undermined or cast aside. In short, ideology has the effect of limiting discourse. Rational conversations about the best future for the university are seen as quaint distractions from the real business of forging ahead, increasing productivity. Barnett’s image of the modem university is not flattering. It’s an image of an institution hardened into a pattern of fund raising and cost accounting; an institution incapable of fostering a dialogue critical enough to expose the current culture of higher education for what it is—a potent manifestation of free market ideology. At present, free market beliefs and practices seem cemented in place. But Barnett offers hope for readers uncomfortable with the current language, norms, and values embodied by the university, he asks: ... why let the devil have all the best, or at least the loudest, tunes? If ideology can be a force for dubious ends, so it can be a force for positive ends. (2003, p. 62) Despite the fact that universities are under pressure to accept the values of ‘academic capitalism’ (Slaughter and Leslie, 1997), Barnett suggests that “universities enjoy large pools of space in which to take up value positions of their own” (2003, p. 119). Barnett’s plea is for faculty to use those pools of space to communicate a set of values with the potential to redefine the university as an institution that can challenge private interests and work toward the public good. He acknowledges that such an effort is bound to be fraught with problems. In an institution committed to value-free inquiry, the very notion of values is suspicious. For academics, the realm of values is often thought to lie “beyond all reason” (Barnett 2003, p. 121). But as far as Barnett is concerned, that characterization has kept academics quiet on too many issues of public importance. Within the void of silence, universities have slipped into the habit of disregarding social problems. We spend considerable time and energy developing technology with applications for the military, but less time �contemplating strategies for peace; we put significant effort into streamlining industrial processes, but we put less effort into alleviating the effects of industrial waste; we have thrown ourselves headlong into the advancement of medicine, but we forget the public health risk that occurs when a large segment of the population lacks basic access to care. Barnett calls for a recalculation of our priorities. He calls for a new language of resistance. His plea is for academics to resist the temptation to serve established economic and political power. The goal is to remake the university into an institution where reflexivity and enlightenment are valued. The aim is to create a future where the university incites progressive discourse. Beyond All Reason is a thoughtful examination of the norms, roles, and values shaping higher education. In this book, Barnett takes a hard-edged look at the way culture, politics, and economics impact upon the university. He is not content with what he sees, but instead of lapsing into scorn or cynicism, he presents readers with an invitation to reinvigorate the promise of research and teaching for the greater good. In sum, Barnett offers a vision for a new institution; an institution willing to engage in politics, capable of challenging economic interests, and given to addressing social problems. References Barnett, Ronald. (1990). The Idea ofHigher Education. Buckingham, UK: Society for Research into Higher Education and the Open University Press. Barnett, Ronald. (1992). Improving Higher Education. Buckingham, UK: Society for Research into Higher Education and the Open University Press. Barnett, Ronald. (1994). The Limits of Competence. Buckingham, UK: Society for Research into Higher Education and the Open University Press. Barnett, Ronald. (1999). Realizing the University in an Age of Supercompexity. Buckingham, UK: Society for Research into Higher Education and the Open University Press. Bean, John. (1998). “Alternative Models of Professorial Roles: New Languages for Reimagining Work.” The Journal ofHigher Education, 5, 496-512. Pirsig, Robert. (1974). Zen and the Art ofMotorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values. New York: William Morrow and Company. �Said, Edward. (1994). Cultureand Imperialism. New York: Random House. Slaughter, Sheila and Larry Leslie. (1997). Academic Capitalism: Politics. Policies, and the Entrepreneurial University. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press. About the Reviewer Chad Hanson Chad Hanson teaches sociology at Casper College. His research interests are focused on the social and political aspects of higher education. His essays, articles, and reviews have appeared in The Teaching Professor, Thought and Action, College Teaching, and The Journal ofHigher Education, among others. ER home | Resenas Educativas j Resenhas Educativas overview | reviews | editors | submit | guidelines | announcements � Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Website Article (website not available or unknown) Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource <em>Beyond All Reason: Living With Ideology in the University</em> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <div id="dublin-core-rights" class="element"> <div class="element-text five columns omega"> <div id="dublin-core-rights" class="element"> <div class="element-text five columns omega"> <div id="dublin-core-rights" class="element"> <div class="element-text five columns omega"> <div id="dublin-core-rights" class="element"> <div class="element-text five columns omega"> <div id="dublin-core-rights" class="element"> <div class="element-text five columns omega"> <div id="dublin-core-rights" class="element"> <div class="element-text five columns omega"> <div class="element-text five columns omega"> <div class="element-text"> <div class="element-text"> <div class="element-text"> <div class="element-text five columns omega"> <div class="element-text five columns omega"> <div class="element-text five columns omega"> <div class="element-text"><a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 2004-03-08 Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Chad Hanson Language A language of the resource ENG Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. Chad Hanson Journal Publications, CCA 04.ii.e.2025.01 WyCaC US. Casper College Archives and Special Collections. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CCA 04.ii.e.2025.01_ChadHansonPapers_71 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Searchable PDF https://caspercollege.cvlcollections.org/files/original/a6006ec2cb94f7022428a7086c7cff2e.pdf f0356ea360eae541364e61b126dac912 PDF Text Text THE NEA HIGHER EDUCATION JOURIEAL 127 From Anxious Intellectuals to Ardent Activists Anxious Intellects: Academic Professionals, Public Intelle ctuals. and Enlightenment Values. By John Michael Durham, NC: Duke University Press. 2000. Reviewed by Chad M. Hanson of the contemporary int< llectual as here is irony in the opening a university-based techn icrat oper­ sentence of John Michael’s ating in a moral vacuum. lost withAnxious Intellects. He notes, out a political compass ir popular “The most surprising thesis this agenda. book advances is the one funda­ Throughout the boo l, Michael mental to its project: the thesis that we need another book on intellectu­ implores academics to enter the arena of popular politics. But in als.” light of the post-Reaga 1 political Perhaps it’s not surprising that climate, he also sugges ts leaving the author should be anxious about the cultural baggage of the left at his own book. The question of whether or not the world needs home. another book about intellectuals is For more than two iecades it legitimate. But despite his anxiety, has been difficult to stan 1 on a left­ wing platform without somehow John Michael knows the answer is being aligned with K irl Marx, yes. Anxiety looms whenever the Fidel Castro, or the ent re host of villains that brought us ihe former subject is intellect. Who would dare claim the title of “intellectual”? Soviet Union. After all, what does it mean to be Accordingly, whil( Michael stops short of specifying 1 course of an intellectual? The questions sur­ face often in Michael’s work. He action for the new class 3f intellecexplains, “Intellectuals generally— tuals he envisions, he rel es on a set and left intellectuals peuticularly— of universal guiding i rinciples, seem confused and at odds about those of the Enlightenm< int. Ostensibly transceiding the what they are supposed to profess, and why after all, anyone should politics of left and righ t, Michael want to listen.” suggests: “The fun iamental Michael suggests that intellec­ grounding of any intellec tual’s poli­ tuals have retreated, primarily to tics ... must always an 1 do come colleges and universities and the from certain strains witi in the varpublish-or-perish world of speaking ied and vexed traditii ns of the and writing in discipline-specific Enlightenment” jargon. He paints a familiar picture However, the Enlij htenment T �128 THOUGHT & ACTION values he refers to are not political­ ly neutral; they are the stock-intrade of the left. He is talking about “justice, equality, solidarity, compassion, rationality, and the rest.” His plea for a return to Enlightenment val­ ues is not opaque; his agenda is clearly progressive. He is asking authors and academics to step out into popular politics, with Enlight­ enment values under one arm and a commitment to social justice under the other. Michael suggests there are groups in the academy who are moving toward the politics he describes, He notes: “It is the poli­ tics toward which many academic professionals in cultural studies specifically, and in the humanities and social sciences more generally, aspire.” But while he consistently pro­ motes the idea of an activist form of scholarship, in the end, Michael himself comes up short. On one hand, the goal of this book is to inspire scholars from across the disciplines, to prompt people to engage in relevant public service. On the other hand, the work is written from the increasingly unique perspective of cultural stud­ ies, and in the prose style of acade­ mic literary criticism. The subjects of Michael’s work, the lens through which he views them, and the hand he writes in all reveal his own posi­ tion in the academy as an associate professor of English. Despite the book’s title, I was surprised to find few references to the Enlightenment. In the body of the book Michael visits the work of a number of contemporary thinkers: Theodor Adorno, Cornel West, Paulo Freire, and Stephen Hawking, among others. All are important scholars in theii own right, and Michael handles them with skill, but these are h irdly Enlightenment figures. The remarkable history i if the Enlightenment is that the i move­ ment shook the very foundati wms of science, culture, and economics. Enlightenment scholars ch{ nged the way men and women v: ewed nature, themselves, and the societies they hved in. Folks like West, Freire and Hawking may embody the sp rit of the Enlightenment in that they have been more successful than most academics when it con es to capturing the minds and imj gination of the American public. But Michael overestimates the r )le of academics in forging public p rception. He portrays college anc uni­ versity faculty as the great h >pe of the American left; but the p: esent truth is they’ve been deci ledly bested by those who write and speak from a conservative base: Dinesh D’Sousa, William Be inett. and even Rush Limbaugh. Conservatives have leame d the value of engaging the publie, and have developed a popular voic} that resonates with Americans- -even when the message does not i match the interests of readers or list mers. In order for the Enlightei ment project to continue, the move ment needs spokespeople that the tublic pays attention to. Academics looking to Ar. xious Intellects for a manual on h 5w to use the works of Locke or V( Itaire to transform themselves into )ublic philosophers will be left wa iting. The book is, for the most pa rt, an academic exercise itself. Each of the subjects are seen through a theoretical frami work drawn from the work of Mi chael �THE NEA HIGHER EDUCATION JOLW AL Berube, Stanley Fish, and others who work in the genre of literary criticism. The analysis is well exe­ cuted, but it is presented in a fash­ ion that is best appreciated by Eng­ lish department faculty. Therefore, in response to Michael’s original question, “Do we need another book about intellectu­ als?” the answer is yes. We need this book, but we also need anoth­ er—one that follows the form that Michael only suggests. We still need an unabated guide for knowledge workers, one that prescribes entry into the world of popular politics and public engagement, but one that draws on the strength and character of his­ toric Enlightenment figures, and one that is written for a general 129 audience. That’s a tall order bu these are tough times. Anti-intellectualism persists as a threat to ar y progres­ sive agenda. In order t( meet the challenge, faculty will h ive to put both academic pretense «nd acade­ mic prose aside. Only the i will they be welcomed to take par. in public discourse. ■ Chad M. Hanson teaches <ociology at Northcentral Tech in Wausat. Wisconsin, His research interests include tthe study of two-year colleges as sites for » cial change, and the role of higher educati >n in Ameri­ can culture, politics, and econ mics. He is also author of recent articles < ppearing in The Teaching Professor and I he National Teaching and Learning Forun . � Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Print Journal Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. 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Chad Hanson Journal Publications, CCA 04.ii.e.2025.01 WyCaC US. Casper College Archives and Special Collections. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CCA 04.ii.e.2025.01_ChadHansonPapers_70 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Searchable PDF Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available <em>The NEA Higher Education Journal</em> is published by the National Education Association